mullett



Jan. 16, 1940. H. A. MULLETT FOOT CONTROLLED WASHFOUNTAIN Filed Sept. 10, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.

\NVENTOR HOWARD A. MULLETT ATTORNEYS Jan. 16, 1940. H. A. MULLETT 2,137,521

FOOT CONTROLLED WASHFOUNTAIN Filed Sept. 10, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5.

' INVENTOR HOWARD A. MULLETT 2s 26 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 16, 1940 PATENT OFFICE 2,187,521 a Foo'r CONTROLLED WASHFOUNTAIN Howard A. (Mullett, Mil

waukee, Wis., assignor to Bradley Washfountain Company, Milwaukee, Wisa a corporation of Wisconsin 1' Application September 10, 1938, SerialNo. 229,307

8 Claims. (01. 4mm) The invention relates to improvements in foot controlled washfountains.

Theobiect of the invention is to improve on foot controlled washfountain structures, such as 5 the prior U. 8 Patent No. 1,574,700, to Schlesinger et al.,'date'd February 23, 1926, and U. S.

Patent No. 2,040,266, to Howard A. Mullett et al.,

dated May 12, 1936. In these fountains the valve is mounted on the outside of the pedestal which is objectionable fromia sanitary and appearance standpoint; and a relatively large counterweight isu'sed in the operating mechanism. The object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction in which the valve is enclosed L6 within the pedestal, .so that the pedestal is relieved of insanitary projecting parts whose absence also improves the appearance of the fountain and makes it easier to clean; the valve operating mechanism itself is greatly consoli- 50 datedyso that it only requires a short travel to operate the valve, and a spring or springs may be used instead of counterweights; The valve operatingmechanism also forms a self-contained unit of simple parts which will not readily get I! out ofadjustment and which may be used in connection with fountainshaving pedestals of different materials. f

The invention further consists in the several featuresf here'inafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof, i

In the drawings: Fig. -1 "is avertical sectional View through a washfountainembodying the invention; Fig. 2 is"a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. taken on theline 3+3 of Fig. 1;

Figa i'is a detailed horizontal sectional view 3 taken on the line 4-4 of Fig; 1;

Fig. 5' is a detailed vertical sectional View through the control valve.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral .6 designates a basin whichmay beof circular, semi- 5 circular,"or' other suitable form mounted on a support or pedestal l. f

The water may be supplied to the basin by any suitable spraying device or series ofspray nozzles. By way of illustration, I have shown a sprayinghead 8 similar to thatofmy prior U. 8. Patent No. 2,108,266, dated February 15, 1938, wherein the water is,discharge'd through a series of radially and downwardly extending jet orifices :9 which are arranged aboutthe periphery .ofr the head and adapted to discharge is a detailed horizontal sectional view provided with spaced outwardly and downwardly within the confines of the basin. The sprayhead is supported in a central position above the bottom of the basin by a tubular member it interposed between said spraying head and a spud H mounted in a 5 recessed opening 12 in the bottom of the basin and'connected by a fitting [2 with a drain pipe 28. The lowerend of the member IE! is provided with a series of slots or openings 3 to provide a drain from the basin to the spud u. A hotwater pipe i i and a cold water pipe !5 lead into a casing E6 of a suitable mixing valve whose position is regulated by the rotatable handle 81 and which valve controls the supply of tempered water delivered to a pipe l8 which connects with the inlet to a control valve mechanism i9 and from which mechanism a pipe conducts the water to an upright pipe 2! which supplies the sprayhead with water and extends up through the tubular member I l. 20

A support 22 for soap is mounted above the sprayhead which, as shown in the aforementioned patent, may be provided with a shut off valve having an operating handle 23.

The control valve mechanism I9 includes a 25 valve 2d of any suitable construction which is mounted in the casing 25 and is normally closed bya spring 26. As shown in Fig. 1, the casing 25 is mounted on an arm 2'! extending upwardly from a disc or collar 28 which surrounds the 30 drain pipe 29 and which is clamped by set-screws to said pipe, there being a spacing and hearing sleeve 3! disposed between said collar and the floor 32 and extending into a recess 33 in said collar.

a An actuating member '34 in the form of a sleeve is slidably mounted on. the sleeve 3! and has an annular groove 35 formed therein and an arm as projecting from one side and pro Vided with a guide bore 3'! in which a tappet 4'0 rod 38 is slidably mounted, said rod being normally yieldingly urged upwardly by awspring 3S interposed between the arm and a washer 40, the rod being limited in its upper movement by a pin M. The member 34 is normally held in an inoperative position against felt washer 34' by means of a spring 33 interposed between said member and the collar 28.

A four-arm metalbase plate 13 surrounds the drain pipe 29 and rests on the floor 32, the arms 4d projecting radially from the center and each a pivot pin supporting eyes 45 at its end. A guide pin 45 mounted in the plate 43 projects into an opening 17 in the mem her to and keeps said member 34 in aligned position relative to said plate and the valve mechanism l9.

A lever 48 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a pivot pin 49 carried by theapertured lugs 45 for each arm 44. Each lever has a curved end 50 engaging in the groove 35 and a forked end 5| in which a tubular member 52 is mounted, said member 52 in the case of a circular fountain forming a ring that extends around the lower portion of the pedestal. With this construction downward pressure on any part of the rubber covered metal ring 52 will cause a downward movement of the outer ends of-all the levers 48 and a consequent upward movement of the inner ends of said levers with a corresponding upward movement of the member 34 against the action ofthe spring 42.

The upward movement of the member 34 brings the tappet rod 36 into engagement with the lower end of the stem of the valve 24 and lifts said valve from its seat so as to allow water to flow from the pipe IB'to the pipe 20 and thence through the pipe 2! to the sprayhead, the spring 39 permitting the rod 38 to have a certain amount of lost motion on the opening movement of the valve. The release of the ring 52 will permit the spring 39 to return the parts to release position and thus permitthe spring 42 to close the valve 24.

The pedestal I, it is to be noted, is of hollow tubular construction and free of projecting'parts so that it is easily kept clean, and the valve, the actuator 34 associated therewith, and the base plate 43 are all mounted inside of the pedestal and thus concealed from view and out of the way where the valve will not have to be cleaned of dust or other deposits, said pedestal having a relatively large opening 53 in one side thereof by which access may be had to the valve and its operating mechanism and which is normally closed oil by a plate 54 held in position against the side of the pedestal surrounding said opening by a bracket 55 to which it is' secured by a bolt 56.

While the foot control mechanism above described hasbeen shown in connection with a supply pipe coming in from below the basin, it may be used with an overhead water supply such as shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,085,824, of July 6, 1937, to H. A. Mullett, and with an overhead vent such as shown in the U. S Patent No. 1,977,079, to H. A. Mullett and Herman E. Heine.

I desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular form or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a washfountain, the combination of a basin, a hollow pedestal supporting said basin, spraying means supported above the basin for directing water toward the outer portion of the basin, a valve mounted wholly within the hollow of said pedestal and supported independently thereof for controlling the flow of mater to said spraying means, and foot-controlled means operable from a plurality of points exterior of said pedestal for controlling said valve.

2. In a washfountain, the combination of a basin, a hollow pedestal supporting said basin, spraying means supported above the basin for directing water toward the outer portion of the basin, a support centrally mounted within said pedestal, a valve mounted on said support for controlling the flow of water to said spraying means, an actuator for said valve slidably mounted on said support, and foot controlled means operable from a plurality of points exterior of said pedestal for controlling said valve.

3. In a washfountain, the combination of a basin, a hollow pedestal supporting said basin, spraying means supported above the basin for directing water toward the outer portion of the basin, a valve mounted within the hollow of said pedestal for controlling the flow oi water to said spraying means, valve actuating mechanism including a plurality of levers and an exterior connection for said levers, and means within but independent of said pedestal providing a fulcrum support for all of said levers.

4. In a washfountain, the combination of a basin, a hollow pedestal supporting said basin, spraying means supported above the basin for directing water toward the outer portion of the basin, a valve mounted wholly within the hollow of said pedestal for controlling the flow of water to said spraying means, valve actuating mechanism including a plurality of pivoted levers and an exterior connection for said levers, a support for the pivotal points of all of said levers mounted within said pedestal, said levers being free of said pedestal.

5. In a washfountain, the combination of a basin, a hollow pedestal supporting said basin, spraying means supported above the basin for directing water toward the outer portion of the basin, 2. support centrally mounted within said, pedestal, a valve mounted on said support for controlling the flow of water to said spraying means, an actuator for said valve slidably mounted on said support, a plurality of levers operatively connected to said actuator and extending through openings in said pedestal, an exterior foot controlled connection for said levers, and a base member for supporting said levers mounted within the hollow of said pedestal.

6. In a washfountain, the combination of a basin, ahollow pedestal supporting said basin, spraying means supported above the basin for directing water toward the outer portion of the basin, a drain pipe connecting with the central portion of the basin and extending down through said pedestal, a valve mounted on said drain pipe for controlling the flow of water to said spraying means, an actuator for said valve including a sleeve slidably mounted relative to said drain pipe, a spring for normally holding said 4' sleeve in inoperative position, a plurality of levers radially disposed relative to said pedestal and extending through openings therein and operatively connected at their inner ends to said sleeve, an exterior foot controlled connection for said levers, and a base member surrounding said drain pipe for supporting said levers'and disposed within the hollow of said pedestal.

7. In awashfountain, the'combination of a basin, a hollow pedestal supporting said basin, spraying means supported above the basin for directing water toward the outer portion of the basin, a drain pipe connecting with the central portion of the basin and extending down through said pedestal, a plate mounted on said drain pipe, a normally closed valve mounted on one side of said plate for controlling the flow of water to said spraying means, a sleeve slidably mounted relative to said drain pipe, a valve tappet member yieldingly mounted on said sleeve, a spring for normally holding said sleeve in inoperative position, a plurality of levers radially disposed relative to said pedestal and extending through openings therein and operatively connected at their inner ends to said sleeve, an exterior foot controlled connection for said levers, a base member surrounding said drain pipe for supporting said levers and disposed within the hollow of said pedestal;

8. In a washfountain, the combination of a basin, a hollow pedestal supporting said basin, spraying means supported above the basin for directing water toward the outer portion of the basin, a valve mounted wholly within the hollow of said pedestal for controlling the flow of water to said spraying means, an actuator for said valve mounted within the pedestal, a plurality of radially disposed pivoted levers for moving said actuator and having operating connections disposed exterior of said receptacle, and a base plate for the pivot points of said levers mounted within said pedestal and independent of the same.

HOWARD A. MULLETT. 

